Tobacco-plug extractor.



B. T. SUBLETT. TOBACCO PLUG EXTRAGTOR. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 26,1913.

Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

1 INVENTOR WITNESSES BY f ATTORNEY BENJAMIN TASEVELL SUBLETT, OF DANVILLE, VIRGINIA.

TOBACCO-PLUG EXTRACTOR.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Dec. 16, 1913.

Application filed May 26, 1913. Serial No. 769,913.

To all whom 'it 71mg/ concern Be it known 'that l, BnNJAurN T. Sun- Lirr'r, a citizen ot the VUnited States, resid- .ingI at Danville, in the county of Pittsyh vania and Static oit Virginia, have invented. a new and usetul '.lolnmco-llug llxtractor, ot which the tollowing is a specification.

'.lfhe invention relates to improvements 'in tobacco plug extractors.

rlhe object oit the present invention is to improve the construction ot tobacco plug extractors, and to provide a simple, inexpensive and etlicient implement adaptctfl il'or extracting plug tobacco trom. the bo); ai'ter it has been manulactured, put in boxes and sold to the retail trade, and capable ot loeing readily inserted between the plugs ot a layer oit tobacco and ot engaginfy two plugs at the contiguous edges thercoit and ot removing the engaged plugs Vwithout tearing 'the tobacco or otherwise injuring or dislignring` t he plugs. l

A further object of the invention is to lprovide a tobacco plug extractor ot this character, capable ot being easily 'forced between tightly packed plugs, and a'tter beingI inserted in position oit being operated with one hand thereby leaving the other hand tree ttor holding` the box when necessary.

lilith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel cmnbination ot parts hereinaitter lully described, illustrated in the aecompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being` understood that various changes in the torni, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope ot the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or saeriticing any et the advantages ot the invention.

ln the drawing:Mlligure l is a perspective view oit a tobacco plug extractor, constructed in accordance with this invention, the jaws being slightly separated to show the construction more clearly. Fig. 2 :is a side elevation partly in section, illustrating the manner ot reu'mvingtwo plugs 'troni a box. lfig. 3 is a trans\.'erse sectional view on the line E3-3 oit' lig. '.llig. 4t is an enlarged detail sectional view, illustrating the operation ot the device in engaging the plugs.

Like .ninnerals oi reference designate corrcsj'ionding parts in all the tgures ot the drawing.

n the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, the plug extractor comprises in its construction two members connected at an intern'iediate point by a suitable pivot l, and each consisting oi an inner handle 2 and an outer jaw 3. 'lhe handles, which are arranged in the same transverse plane, are semitubular or approximately U-shaped in cross section to provide a light hollow structure, and they also constitute a partial housing for a spring 4;, extending longitudinally ot the tool between the handles thereof and secured at one end to one oi the handles by rivets 5 or other suitable fastening devices, and havingl its other end free and bearing against the other handle to spread the handles and automatically open or expand the jaws, as hereinafter .'lully explained, to engage 'them with two contiguous plugs t5 of tobacco. 'lhe jaws 3, which are located beyoud the pivot Il, are substantially wedgeshaped and `tapered to a relatively sharp edge 7, and they present llat inner faces S, which are adapted to abut when the jaws are completely closed. rlhc tapered jaws 8 have tlat angularly disposed outer iiaces 9 and when the instrument is closed, the two jaws fitting` tightly together form a tapered or wedge-shaped terminal portion, which is adapted to be readily lorecd between the contiguous edges ol two plugs ot tobacco, while the same is tightly packed in a box in the usual manner.

.ln order to enable the instrument to be readily inserted between the contiguous edges oit the plugs to be removed, the handles are provided at the inner ends ot said members with relatively heavy approximately semieircular knobs or heads llt), having rounded outer taces adapted to be struck with the palm oit one hand ot' the operator while the instrument is held in position with the other hand. The instrument is driven between lthe 'plugs a distance approximately equal to the thickness ot the same, and the jaws are provided near their outer ends with relatively small apertures 1l into which portimm l2 ot" tobacco are forced in the operation ot the tool. rthe apertan'es in practice are designed to be approximately an eighth ot an inch in diameter, but, of course, they may be ot any desired size to suit the thickness ot the plugs operated on, and Ythey are located a short distance from the outer end ci'lges S) ot the jaws and are designed to be positioned relatively to the said outer edges so that when the jaws are inserted between the plugs about approximately a distance equal to the thickness of the tobacco, the apertures will be located in substantially a central position between the inner and outer faces of the plugs. rlhe apertures will serve as a guide to enable the operator to determine approximately when the instrument has been inserted the proper distance between the plugs. After the jaws have been inserted between the plugs, the handles are relieved of pressure to permit the spring to separate them and force the jaws against the contiguous plugs. This operation slightly compresses the tobacco surrounding the openings ll and causes the formation of the protuberances l2, which extend into the said openings. T he engaged plugs may then be readily removed by drawing the instrument outwardly in the manner illustrated in F ig. 2 of the drawing. lt is preferable to remove two plugs at each operation of the device, which will ordinarily take place at a sale of one of the plugs, thus leaving the other plug loose in the box for the nextI sale. This is an advantage as it is only necessary to use the instrument at every other sale. The instrument affords an eflicient means for quickly removing plug tobacco from boxes without disfiguring the plugs.

W'hile it is preferable to extend the openings ll entirely thro-ugh the aws, as the latter in practice will be relatively thin, yet the said openings may terminate short of the inner faces of the jaws, snilicient depth being, of course, provided to produce the i necessary interlocking of the tool with the plugs to insure a removal of the tobacco.

l/Vhat is claimed is:-

l. A tobacco plug extractor including two pivotally eonnectednnembers having inner handle portions and provided with outer jaws adapted when closed to be inserted between two contiguous plugs of tobacco and having an opening into which a portion of the tobacco is forced when the jaws are slightly separated, whereby the instrument is engaged with the tobacco.

2. A tobacco plug extractor including two pivoted members having inner handle portions and provided with outer longitudinally tapered or wedge-shaped jaws having flat inner faces adapted to abut when the jaws are closed, said jaws being vadapted to be inserted between two contiguous plugs of tobacco, and each provided with an opening into which portions of tobacco are forced when the jaws are slightly separated, whereby the jaws are engaged with two plugs and are adapted to remove the same when the instrument is pulled outwardly.

3. A tobacco plug .extractor including two pivoted members having inner handle portionsand pro-vided with outer longitudinally tapered or wedge-shaped jaws adapted when closed to be inserted between two contiguous plugs of tobacco and provided with openings into which portions of tobacco are forced when th-e jaws are slightly separated, relatively heavy heads or knobs arranged at the inner ends of the members, and a spring engaging the said members and arranged to separate the aws automatic-ally to engage the same with the tobacco.

a. fr tobacco plug extractor including two pivotally connected members provided with jaws adapted to be inserted between two contiguous plugs of tobacco and having smooth outer faces, said jaws being provided with means adapted when the jaws are opened to compress the tobacco to form a protuberance for interlocking the plugs with the tool.

ln testimony, that l claim the foregoing` as my own, l have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN TASEWELL SUBLETT.

l"Vitnesses:

J. R. Coon, H. S. POWELL.

Gopes of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner ci Patents. Washington, D. C. 

